AI: Eyes of a Man With No Soul - Part 1
by Demelza
Summary: Elisa’s day starts off being one of the worst days of her life... then she looks into the Eyes of a Man With No Soul... introduces an A/R, and the start of the Alien Investigation’s real storyline. (non e-g fic)


**Alien Investigations  
Eyes of a Man With No Soul – Part 1  
**by Demelza Watt 2001  
stonelight81@hotmail.com 

**DISCLAIMER:** Gargoyles and Gargoyles: The Goliath Chronicles are the property of Disney/Buena Vista, no infringements of these Copyrights are intended, and are used here without permission. All new character's belong to me (which you can freely use so long as you don't kill them off and you let me know where).  
**WARNINGS:** If you're a hard-core fan of Elisa and Goliath, but aren't open to other possibilities, please do not read this story. This story contains descriptions of a crime scene that may be considered somewhat graphic; profanity; and sexual references.  
**RATING:** R  
**AUTHOR'S NOTES:** All of my thanks for this story go out to Skye and Michelle (NZ)… without their help this story would still be sitting on the shelf (so to speak) collecting dust.  
**SUMMARY: **Elisa's day starts off being one of the worst days of her life… then she looks into the Eyes of a Man With No Soul… introduces an A/R, and the start of the Alien Investigation's real storyline. (non e-g fic) 

***          *          *          ***

**February 8th 2000  
****Elisa's Apartment,  
****Manhattan,  
****New York City**

Elisa's work, her relationship with Matt, and even her memories seemed to have had settled down at long last.  But then a couple of days ago, so unexpectedly, things changed.  Work started to get to her, her relationship was okay, but needed some attention.  And it all seemed to point to one thing; the one thing that she thought was finally leaving her in peace.  Her memories.

They'd come back in full gale force.  There wasn't a single moment through out the day when she didn't have flashbacks back to 'That Day'.  When she was working she was fine, but when she stopped to rest or have a bite to eat, or something to drink, the memories would come flooding back.  She always had to keep herself busy, or at least her mind, so that it couldn't access the parts of her memories she didn't want to relive again.

Every night she'd had nightmares, with them getting worse as the night progressed.  By the time morning came she would be freaked out as much, if not more, than any one person would be.

The only comfort she had was with Matt, when he stayed the night she didn't have the bad dreams, it was as though he was her protector while she slept.  But last night, it was different, he was there with her, and the bad dreams still came to haunt her.

"No!"  Elisa woke up screaming.  The dream she had had was so horrid, so clear and full of pain and fear.  "Why?" She cried.  The memories of that day haunted her when she was alone, and now they were haunting her when she was with the man she loved?  Why didn't they just leave her alone?

But soon her erratic breathing started to slow down, somehow having the bad dream and Matt being there made her not so afraid.  And it was the first time she'd felt like that in a long time. Even though no one but her knew of the bad dreams she ever had. Not Goliath, not even Matt.

Sitting up, suddenly she felt a sharp pain shoot through her chest, clutching at the pain she could feel something wet beneath her fingertips. _It was blood._ Fear started to set in again. Her whole body was shaking, as she turned to look at Matt, his left shoulder was bleeding.

"Nooo!"  She screamed.

"No one can hear you scream Detective…" A dark, sinister voice said.  

Elisa turned around; it was Dracon. "You, it's you…" She shook her head, trying to shake the thoughts in her head, the memories were back again, stabbing at her brain.  "No!  Leave me alone!"  A loud bang echoed in her mind.

Dracon laughed at her, "You can fight it Elisa, but you won't win!"  He laughed.

"What do you want from me?" She demanded, rubbing her head with her bloodied hands. "Why won't you leave me alone!" Screaming out with pain as her chest started to throb again.

"Don't you know where you are?" Dracon asked her. A loud shot went off, Elisa turned to her right only to see Matt standing up holding onto his shoulder, slowly, she seen him fall to the ground. Another shot, her surroundings changed, she was in the warehouse, back to that same day when she and Matt were shot.

Elisa had tears streaming out the corner of her eyes as she sat up on the cold concrete floor, "This isn't real…" She cried. "You're trying to trick me!"

"Tricks are for magicians…" Dracon taunted. He clapped his hands together, Dracon, a gun now in his hand, aimed at her, a cold sweat covered her body as he pulled the trigger. She was jolted back as the bullet entered her chest, just as it had done 'That Day'. Her whole life flashed before her in a matter of seconds, memory after memory, living every memorable moment of her life as if she were there that day. But then, there was something different, a memory she'd never had, she was lying in a hospital bed, a nurse was handing her a baby, her baby.  Just as her life started to drift away from within her grasp she could hear the baby cry for her, her throat was closing up, she couldn't breathe anymore. Her life, ended.

*        *        *        *

Discomfort in her throat and stomach woke Elisa up. The nightmare was fully in her mind, the more she thought about it the more she felt as though her stomach were turning inside out, trying to eject its content. At that instant she got up out of bed and ran for the bathroom.  

Elisa ended up hugging the porcelain bowl, vomiting. She begun crying. Being sick was the one thing she hated most in all the world, second after what Tony Dracon did to both her and Matt. She called out to her mom, crying more as she threw up once again. Afterwards, she stood up carefully, her head not feeling exactly one hundred percent, after rinsing out her mouth; Elisa splashed her face with some cool water. Not that the water made much difference. Her face was still burning hot, just like it was yesterday morning, and the morning before. "I hate this so much." The nightmares, the vomiting, why couldn't it all just stop?

Elisa soon got control of herself and made her way out to the living room, her stomach still not settling down, she grabbed a book off the shelf. It was a copy of the Webster's Pocket Medical & First Aid Dictionary. Flipping through the pages, she spotted Botulism. It was a type of food poisoning that was caused by bacterium found in improperly canned or preserved food. The symptoms were nausea, vomiting and abdominal cramps. All three of which she experienced at different times of the day over the last few days. "Damn."  She said aloud. There'd been a case a couple weeks back that Elisa could remember down at the precinct and how a batch of canned goods, from the same companies that produced the Italian stuff her and Matt had been having for dinner, were improperly processed.

She didn't want to have food poisoning, not now. _This was going to be the worst day of her life, she just knew it._ She only wished Matt could have stayed the night, so that they could have spent time together. Not that she would have been very good company. Her new partner, Jeremy Spencer, whom she'd been working with since the day after Christmas last year and her had shared a Chinese meal together the night before while putting the final touches to the now closed Murder Enquiry into her parents' neighbor, Deanna Cohcrane's death, and her boyfriend Frank. A jealous best friend of Frank's had murdered them. Motivation? Because he had offered Deanna a better life than the abuse she had constantly suffered at the hands of Frank, but she had refused, and Lloyd Mica, the charged suspect, murdered them in cold blood so that their daughter, Amanda, could have a better life away from them.

Amanda was put into care with the Maza's, much to Peter's insistence that she be given to Elisa, as per Deanna's wishes that she become Amanda's new mom. Elisa couldn't do it, she had her reasons, but gave her Career as her chosen reason as to why not. So, Diane and Peter offered to foster, and then later on Adopt Amanda.

After running to the bathroom like she had done, Elisa decided to stay out in the living room, just in case she had to run back there again. As she laid back in the armchair her stomach started to churn. _I can't believe I'm sick like this._ She rarely, if ever, got sick. So why now? Oh yeah… the food poisoning thing. Her gut feeling told her it must have been very early, sometime between four and half past five in the morning. 

She didn't think she'd ever be able to get back to sleep. But after a while, she started drifting off to sleep, the sounds of her neighbors screaming at each other out in the corridor echoing in her mind as she let go of the real world and let her body relax.

_  
Fate is a funny thing… we were brought together in due circumstances, and our love grew. But now as Fate changes her chosen path for us, our lives will head in that direction… where we shall meet in the final moments, everything changing to what it needs to be for the path of Fate to continue as she has planned._

**  
Manhattan Medical Centre  
****10:23 AM**

The tall archway leading to the inner building of the Medical Centre was made of concrete, while the rest of the building was built of red bricks.  Inside, the waiting room of the general practitioner area was half empty, that, in Elisa's eyes, was a good thing.  But, sadly the waiting room was rather large, and by a rough estimate, could hold at least forty, to forty-five patients at one time.  Not including the children that would play in the playpen, or those patients that would be well enough to stand while waiting for their turn to be seen next.  There was around nineteen different people whom most looked as though they'd suffered abuse of some form or another.  The abuse reminded her of many cases she and Matt had worked on during the past years. 

There was so much suffering around her, women were wailing, children were grizzling, and an old couple over in the corner were shaking, more than likely trembling of fear of the two giant sized men sitting beside them rather than anything else though.

Elisa silently wished Matt had come with her. "Elisa Maza." She heard a voice call.  She looked over to the entrance of the opposite side of the room, a doctor was standing there, he wasn't that tall, in fact he was the shortest doctor Elisa had ever had before. She carefully stood up, her stomach still feeling queasy, and made her way past the other patients.

She followed the doctor along the hallway, too many thoughts running through her mind, just then the doctor stopped outside a door, opened it and motioned for Elisa to go on in. "Take a seat." He told her. She walked in and sat down, wishing she'd waited until tomorrow, to go see her own doctor. But Matt had insisted over the phone that she come down here, 'They really take care of you down there, I go there all the time.  They're more human than the other doctor's around this blasted city.' She didn't know if he was right in that respective, but was in many ways greatful he had rung up and got her an appointment. They served each and every patient that came in, that wanted it, a cup of juice and a cookie. More than the doctor she paid fifty-five dollars for every half-hour would provide.

The doctor closed the door and sat down in his chair opposite Elisa. "Sorry Miss Maza, for not introducing myself sooner, I am Doctor Travis Stephens." He smiled, his balding head shining from the light above, his thick moustache looked like a furry caterpillar, especially when he spoke.

"Doctor Stephens." Elisa greeted him, with a slight smile.

"You've been throwing up, for how many days now?"

Elisa looked at him, how'd he know? _Matt,_ that's how. "Four… no… yeah, four days now." She replied.

"Right, anything else? Fever? Reckless nights?"

"Fever, nausea and vomiting, that's it." She explained.

He penned in what she'd said into her file, "I see… have you been drinking adequate fluids?"

Elisa nodded, "Yes, yes I do."

"Ah huh…" He replied, writing down more information in her file.  "How often are you using the toilet?"

She looked at him, "Ah… I don't really pay that much attention."

"More often than you would usually?"

Elisa thought about it, "No, not really… maybe."

He rubbed his mustache, "Hmm… I'd like to check you to hop up on the bed, I want to check your stomach if that's okay?" Elisa nodded and went over to the bed.

Elisa tucked her T-shirt back in, she was going to put her jacket on again, but it was boiling in the room. She sat back down on the seat, draping her jacket over her knee.

Doctor Stephens wrote down a few more notes in her file, "I'd like to ask you a personal question now. Are you currently sexually active?"

Talk about blatant. "Ah, yeah… I mean, yes… why?" She asked.

He wrote once again in her file, "Elisa, do you think that there's a chance that you're pregnant?"

She shook her head. "No… no, there isn't."

"You and your partner use protection?"

She looked at him quizzically, she knew what he was talking about, but what did it matter if they were? Or weren't as the case was. "We… actually, no, we don't. But that won't make a difference, because I can't have children."

"Oh, I'm very sorry to hear that.  But are you sure you're not pregnant?"

"I can't be pregnant."

"Okay, well I'll need to run some tests, just to find out exactly why you're sick."

Elisa rolled her eyes in impatience, "What, does it need to be spelt out to you, I could have food poisoning. Matt and I have been eating a lot of tin foods lately, and everyone knows that if it's not processed properly…"

The doctor raised his hand for silence, "You're right, it could be food poisoning. But is your partner sick also?"

She shook her head, "No, but that doesn't mean to say it isn't food poisoning, from something else I've eaten."

"Hmm, well I'd still like to do these tests, if there's anything wrong it'll show up on the test results. I just want to make sure we know what we're dealing with, so we can treat it properly."

Elisa started twisting her jacket in her hands, _We aren't dealing with it, only I am!  _"Fine." She replied.  

Silence as the doctor filled in a laboratory test form. He handed it to her, "If I need to see you again I'll give you a call. But I'd still like you to come back in next week, just in case."

*        *        *        *

**Manhattan Medical Centre  
****11:31 AM**

As Elisa stepped out of the doctor's surgery, carefully putting on her jacket, she walked over to her car parked on the other side of the car park. She unlocked the door and then climbed in. She was feeling a little woozy, she hated having blood tests taken, especially when, in her opinion, she didn't need them. As she turned over the ignition the engine roared, after knocking the gears into reverse, Elisa slowly released the pressure from the brakes and looked behind her on both sides, it was all clear. She slowly put pressure on the accelerator and moved the car backwards, turning the steering wheel to the right, as the car pulled out of the parking space, Elisa straightened the steering wheel and changed gears into first. As the car moved forward, she stopped at the entranceway to the main road; she'd be sitting there a while. The traffic on the road was quite heavy.

Just as soon as a path cleared up in the traffic Elisa released the brakes and slammed her foot on the accelerator. The car screamed out into the traffic, but just as she turned the steering wheel a car smashed into the side of her. She stopped her car and got out, furious, she looked at the back end of her car. The entire bumper and rear right hand side lights were heavily damaged.

"I'm so sorry." The other driver apologized frantically, shaking as she looked at both cars. "I changed lanes, but didn't see you. I'm so sorry."

Elisa looked at the young woman, "Are you out of your mind?  Look what you did to my car!" She shouted, quickly regretting it, as she was more at fault than the woman was.

"Please ma'am, I'm very sorry I crashed into you."

Elisa shook her head, she was so furious. She turned around and went to say something more when she heard a baby crying from in the woman's car, there was a small baby in its car seat. She let out a sigh, "No, I'm the one who should be sorry, for shouting like I did."

"I really shouldn't have crashed into you."

"Please, I think I'm just as much at fault as you. I'm sure our insurance companies will pay for it."

"My husband and I, we have no insurance."

Elisa looked at the woman, and then to the crying baby in the car, "Listen, I'll give you my card, send me the bill, I'll fix it up."

The woman shook her head, "I could not do that."

Elisa shook her head, "I won't take no for an answer."  She said, taking a card out of her jacket's inside pocket.  Writing her address on the back, Elisa then handed it to the woman.  "Please, just send me the bill.  I'll fix it up."

"You're a kind woman."  The woman replied taking Elisa's card and walking back to her car.  Elisa stood there for a few moments, watching as the woman drove off.  Broken glass on the road.  She had to call it in.

After getting back in her car and reporting the mess, and the accident itself, she drove off down the road.  The next few minutes seemed to take much longer, she kept thinking about that woman, and her baby.  She wished the doctor had been right in wondering if she was in fact pregnant.  She imagined all the different ways she would have told Matt.  And how happy he would have been in return.

Just then she stopped at the lights, even though she was imagining all those great thoughts, and how happy she would have been, it was still tearing her up inside.  Tears were rolling down her cheeks.  Looking around, she could see two women walking along pushing pushchairs, they were laughing and talking, probably about their babies and how great it was to have children.  She looked away, the tears coming faster.  There was a baby store across the road, suddenly something inside her seemed to change.  Her whole feeling of sadness seemed to lift away, on the front window were the words, 'Are you expecting?'  And in small letters underneath, 'Layby Available.'  Did she think, that maybe… no, it was impossible!  What the doctor said… she couldn't be… could she?

*        *        *        *

The ride in the elevator up to her apartment was lonely and confusing… she was the only one in it, and it was quiet.  The usual instrumental music wasn't plaing overhead like it would normally do.  Instead her mind, her heart and the elevator were silent.  Just then the elevator stopped, it wasn't her level, in stepped Mr Simmons, an elderly gentleman from the seventh floor, he was probably on his way up to see his daughter and grandchildren on the same level as Elisa.

"Are you alright dear?"  He asked her.

Elisa smiled, "Yeah."

"Some fella broke your heart, didn't he?  And on Valentine's Day."  He shook his head, "Young fellow's these days, got no mind for a young lady's feelings."

"It's nothing like that."  Elisa explained.  "I just, feel so confused."

Old Mr Simmons nodded in agreement, as if he knew exactly what she was talking about, "Lass, something will happen that'll change the way you feel.  You'll see, good things will come to you."  He said.

Elisa gave him a warm smile back, she only wished that were true.  The rest of the way up to the top was in silence again, only Elisa didn't feel the same way she had felt before, it was different now.  'Something will happen that'll change the way you feel.'  There were options for her, so many.  She was in a wonderful and loving relationship with a great guy.  Although the emptiness of never having children filled her, there was so much love in her relationship with him, that it didn't matter if they could never have children, because at least they had love.

Just then the elevator stopped, it was the top level.  The doors opened and her and Mr Simmons walked out, "I'll see you lass, happy Valentine's Day."  He told her.

"And you too."  She replied.

The walk to apartment seemed more and more like a journey of her feelings about her life; there were many thoughts she'd had over and over on the way back home, most of them about her, Matt, their relationship, their future… Our future. And the feelings that went along with all those thoughts were so wonderful!

After Elisa unlocked the door to her apartment she walked straight to the bathroom.  She was feeling a little qeassy again, it wasn't like there was really much she could do about it… if she was right, that is. She found herself just standing in front of the medicine cabinet. Should she? Maybe… no, I'm wrong… What did she have to lose?  If she was wrong about it, then it wouldn't matter… _It's a stupid thing to do.  I'm crazy if I think… no, it's not crazy, tones of women go through this… but I'm not like all of them, it's different… I just can't…_ She slowly opened the medicine cabinet, there it sat in front of her.  

Elisa couldn't even remember why she had brought it for in the first place. It wasn't like she'd ever need to use it, and what made her want to buy the silly thing in the first place?  She would never need one… "Why did I buy it?"  She reached in and pulled out the box, "To use, or not to use, that is the question…"  She didn't want to put herself through all that heartache.  She couldn't.  But as she went to put it back in the box, her mind telling her she was putting it back, some other part of her started controlling her hands.  Carefully she opened the box… What can it hurt to do it?  This wasn't the first time she'd done this same thing.  She knew all the formalities, what to do, and what not to do with it.

Just then, out in the living room, the telephone rang.  Elisa nearly jumped out of her skin!  She put the box on the edge of the basin and ran out to the phone.  She picked up the receiver, "Maza… oh, hi Mom…yeah, I'm fine… thanks for ringing, no I don't need you to come over… yeah I'll be fine, the doctor thinks it's just a virus.  Oh, okay then, I'll let you go… I will… yeah, love you too... bye."

Her heart was still racing pretty fast, she just stood there, she was staring down by the phone, there was a small envelope there. Matt must put it there last time he was here, because she hadn't. Except, it wasn't in his handwriting. She picked it up and pulled out a card, inside it read, 'We regret to inform you that Mr Simmons of room 117a passed away on the 6th of February 2000.  Signed, Management.'  "Oh my gosh… but I… she looked over at the main door, Mr Simmons… the box, in the bathroom.

Cautiously she walked through to the bathroom, not a single thought running through her mind, there it was, just sitting there.  She'd brought it that same day Mr Simmons passed away.  But she couldn't understand why she'd brought it, not even when she slid it across the counter and paid for it.  Her mind seemed to be running on empty, a blank.  She hadn't been drinking, so she couldn't have been drunk and out of her mind to have wanted to buy it.  She could remember feeling like it was something that she was being guided to do, was it Mr Simmons?  No, she didn't believe in that kind of thing, ghosts and spirits with unfinished business… "I have to do it."

  
**That evening**

Elisa decided, in the end, to spend the day shopping. Except, she didn't actually buy anything, mostly she browsed department stores, specifically the baby department. Back home at her apartment, she opened the door and was caught by surprise. "Matt!" She exclaimed with excitement, they weren't going to meet up for another two hours, too long in her books, but still, it was what they were going to do. 

"Hey gorgeous." He greeted her. They wrapped their arms around each other in a tight embrace. "I missed you today." He said, his voice low.

"I missed you too." She replied, "Why are you speaking quietly?" She asked him back a moment later, looking up at him, something was going on, his eyes looked blank, yet his emotions were as real as they had ever been. He looked like someone had taken a part of him, and he had no real soul left in him.

At the sound of someone clearing their throat behind them, Matt withdrew from their embrace, "Goliath." Elisa said, shocked. "What are you doing here?"

"We are not allowed to visit our… friend?" The last word seemed to sting his throat as he spoke, even Elisa could hear his discomfort.

"We?"  Elisa looked up at him, something about him was different, something she couldn't really point out. Beside him was Broadway, a slimmer looking Broadway than that she had seen the night before when she visited the clan after work. Lexington, Brooklyn, Angela and Hudson were also there.  "What's going on?"

"We need your help." Angela said to her with a sad voice.

"Of course, anything you want." Elisa said, she looked at each of them before turning to Matt, "I don't know why you didn't ring me, I could have been here sooner."

"It's okay." Matt replied, "The clan… me… we all need your help."

"Anything." She said again.

"The thing is…" Goliath said, carefully approaching, "It is not as easy as all that."

"I don't understand." Elisa replied, shaking her head at him. "Help me to understand."

Just then, to the left of the gargoyles, Demona walked out, in her arms was a gagged and bound Matt. "What!?" She shouted, "Matt! Oh my gosh, Matt… what the hell is going on here!?" She turned to Matt, the unbound Matt. "Who the hell are you?"

"Something you can never understand." He replied, pulling a syringe out of his pocket, "This isn't meant to hurt you, I'm sorry." He said, walking up to her, "But it's the only way."

"The only way for what?" But he didn't reply, only approaching her, syringe in his hand, "No… you can't." She tried pleading with him, walking backward. She came up against a wall, but it was a human wall. She turned around, her heart pounding. "Dracon!?" She gasped, but just as his name came out she felt something sharp jab her in the right side of her neck, she clutched her hand to the aching part, "Nooo!!" She begged him, "What did you do…." Her eyes looked up at his, and for a moment she could have sworn he wanted to tell her, but everything faded too quickly, she didn't feel herself drop to the ground, she only felt the thud at the end of her fall when she landed hard against the floor.

Her mind didn't cease of thoughts, every memory she had ever lived came flooding through. Her first steps, looking up at her parents with pride as she walked to them; falling off her bike at age eight after being chased by a then, eight year old Jackson, whom she'd later fall in love with, and then lose within months of their relationship beginning in a car accident that would claim his life; meeting Goliath for the first time, the terror she felt in fearing she was about to be turned into Gargoyle Breakfast by him and his dogoyle Bronx; then there was all those tender looks she shared with Goliath, the love she felt so full in her heart, and all she could do was tell him 'I know, but that's the way it is' after times he'd try to tell her of the love he held for her; then there was Matt, those feelings were stronger in her memories than the others, more so because they were the newest in her life. The time in the snow at the hospital when Matt showed her the wonderful lights in the pond beneath the ice, when they shared their first kiss, and made love for the first time that same night. 

Suddenly, Elisa's body jolted and she woke up, gasping for breath……
    
    
    **to be continued**_  
    __Comments? Questions? Flames?  
    Please feel free to send them to me at stonelight81@hotmail.com_


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